


prepare for trouble(and make it double)

by T_5Seconds



Series: Hello Darkie My Old Friend [2]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords
Genre: Follow-up, Gen, Nonbinary Dark Link, Not Canon Compliant, POV everyone, and by that I mean everyone gets a chance to be the pov, it WILL be a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/T_5Seconds/pseuds/T_5Seconds
Summary: "Gang meets Wild" fic, or... at least it starts that way.Darkie’s not sure how to feel about all these different incarnations of their brother. Said incarnations don't seem to know how to feel about them either.
Relationships: Dark Link & Link (Legend of Zelda), I am NOT tagging every link with all the other links, Link & Link (Legend of Zelda), or darkie with all the other links
Series: Hello Darkie My Old Friend [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2009401
Comments: 15
Kudos: 145





	prepare for trouble(and make it double)

Legend's had enough of this shit.

Hasn't he done enough? Now he's traveling time, _again,_ and he doesn't even know why!

"Ow."

"Anyone know where we are?"

_...Huh._

Legend doesn't recognize the landscape, no. But it's beautiful.

Nobody else recognizes the land.

_Another one._

It's been almost two months since they last met a new Link. They'd honestly thought they were all there is.

Guess not.

"Wait."

Time?

"Wait, I... I know this place. But it's not my Hyrule. It can't be."

Twilight sucks in a breath.

Legend looks around again. It just looks like ruins to him.

"So where are we?"

"Looks like... like Lon Lon Ranch. My home."

Oh. Awkward.

\---

They make their way away from the ruins. Twilight tries not to think about it too much.

_How far in the future are we? How long until..._

No, he can't think about that.

They come across a stable. There's nothing else visibly nearby. Strange.

"We're looking for Link," he offers.

"Link? Sure, sure. Do you happen to want bananas? I've got a few here."

"...No? We're looking for Link, like I said, not... bananas."

For some bizarre reason, this seems to placate the stablehand.

"Him, his brother and that girl of his should be in Lurelin. They seem to like it there, and it's nice this time of year."

_Girl of his? Brother?_

He asks for directions. The stablehand draws him a rough map, marks out the road, and predicts three days of straight riding.

Three days.

Why is this Hyrule so damn big?

\---

Wind has been riding for hours and he's still vibrating with excitement.

Brother! Finally, another Link with a sibling!

He's _so_ curious. Older or younger? Maybe a twin? Did he help on the adventure? What's his name?

He has so many questions. He's gonna ask all of them.

Just as soon as they get there.

"Are we there yet?"

"Two more days, Wind."

Ugh. He misses boats.

\---

Lurelin, as it turns out, is a small fishing village. Warriors isn't sure why a Link would want to be here, but Wind seems delighted.

"We're looking for Link?"

"Oh! He's staying a few houses down, should be back soon."

"Anyone else staying there?"

"Yeah, his brother and his girlfriend. By the way, want any bananas?"

"No thanks?"

What is it with this Hyrule and bananas, anyway?

Whatever.

Warriors and the others settle down next to where this Link is apparently staying.

At nearly nightfall, three figures on horseback finally come into view.

\---

Sky's not sure what to hope for, while the figures dismount. They're all wearing hoods, so he can't tell who's who.

One of them has the Master Sword on his back. Fi, as always when they reach a new Hyrule, isn't in his sheath anymore.

He's going to assume that one is Link.

"Heard you were looking for me?"

Yep, definitely Link.

"We were, yeah. But it's kind of a weird request- do you mind if we do this inside?"

One of them flicks off their hood.

Oh... her hood. _Zelda._

It's not the first time he's seen a Zelda since leaving home, but it still sends a pang through his chest.

"Inside, then," she says, "come in."

\---

While Sky explains the situation, Hyrule studies the third member of the group, the only one yet to speak.

Presumably, this person is Link's brother. They're wearing a mix of what looks like sheikah gear and standard armor, all dyed black.

Their face is shadowed by their hood, but a candle on the table is casting a small flame, which is reflected in their eyes.

Maybe it's the candle, but Hyrule could swear those eyes are red.

"So," Sky finishes, "you're probably going to have to come with us. I don't believe Zelda can come. Or... whoever the other person here is. The stablehand mentioned you had a brother?"

Link tosses Sky the Master Sword.

"They better be able to come."

"Our families haven't been able to-"

"They're not _exactly_ normal family."

"Huh?"

\---

Time's got a bad feeling about the hooded figure in the corner.

Maybe it's their sword. The dark purple and black bears a strong resemblance to the Master Sword, and he's wary of that.

Maybe it's that they haven't taken off their hood. Or said anything.

Time's fingers twitch towards his sword.

They flick off their hood, and he freezes.

They bear an uncanny resemblance to the Link of this time- their hair is longer, and pure white, and their eyes are red, and they have no scars, but their faces are identical.

"Hi. I'm-"

"What the fuck?"

Time's not entirely sure when he drew his sword, but the Zelda of this time has pushed the Dark Link behind her, and she's pointing a fancy glowing blue arrow at his face.

"Whoa, whoa, let's all calm down-"

Sky gets between them.

Time sheathes his sword. Nobody's in danger, it's _fine._

"So. What was that all about?"

\---

Four's not crying. Really, he's not.

His eyes are simply leaking. And it's all Vio's fault, anyway.

He just wasn't ready for the memories this brings up.

He also wasn't ready for Time's reaction. Four knew the man had bad experiences with his own shadow, but this is absurd.

"Sorry. Bad experiences with... myself, I suppose."

Time doesn't look less suspicious, but at least he looks less angry. Blue still wants to fight him.

"Understandable enough. Hi, I'm Darkie."

"What kind of name is that?"

Whoops. Did he say that out loud?

"Yeah, I know. Link gave it to me and it stuck."

He even sounds like him.

"I'm Four."

Darkie shakes his hand, spares a single glance at Four's shadow, and half-smiles.

\---

Link's... not sure how to feel.

Zelda's put away her bow, and Darkie seems to be getting along with the small one, Four.

The tall one-Time?- has calmed down, though he still keeps Darkie in his line of sight.

The soft one, Sky, says the Master Sword is going to give him a title.

Well, that's a relief. He's not great at coming up with names on his own.

"Wild" is a cool name. He could get used to it.

The reactions to "Darkie is coming with us and there's nothing you can do about it" ranged from Indifferent(Legend), to Suspicious(Time), to Ecstatic(Four).

Darkie could, it seemed, go with them. Suck it, Time, there really is nothing you can do about it.

\---

Darkie’s having fun.

Sure, one of their new traveling companions might want to kill them, but only the one! And one of the others has a Shadow. Darkie’s not sure if Four knows that, but the excitement when Darkie went with the group implies it.

As for the others...

Sky seemed wary at first, but he's warmed up to them. He's fun to hang out with, and he's got a secret mischievous streak that nobody but Darkie knows about.

Warriors is prideful, but he rocks heels. Darkie insists he teach them how to do a smoky eye that good.

Hyrule is a beacon of sunshine and Darkie will protect him with their life. He's immediately friendly, and Darkie finds he's curious but intelligent, quickly picking up new skills. It's easier to learn something if he's helping. Except cooking. Hyrule is _horrible_ at cooking.

Legend seems to not care too much, but he has a wealth of interesting questions he only rarely asks. He mentions, once, that he's friends with a sort-of-dark link. A him from another dimension. He acts nonchalant, but when Darkie asks to be introduced to this friend at the first convenience, he smiles.

Wind is excitable and fun, though he gets along better with Wild than with them. The kid is immediately a new little brother, and the trio are well known for mischief.

Twilight is a kind presence, originally mothering Wild and then getting roped into mothering Darkie too. The twins are a package deal, take it or leave it.

Time is frosty. He displays some nicer traits, especially around Twilght-and to a lesser extent Wild- but he doesn't seem to like Darkie. Twilight says that he's encountered his own dark reflection before, and it did not go well.

Four attaches himself to Darkie like glue. He's funny and incessantly curious. Darkie finds that they quite like having him around, and Four's smithing expertise lets them finally get those Royal Guard weapons to be reasonably durable.

Four's Shadow is quiet, but Darkie can feel it's presence. They never say anything- Time's not handling ONE shadow well, how would he handle two?

It feels... weak, almost. Barely there.

They leave a fairy tonic on the ground next to Four some nights. It's never gone in the morning, but Darkie thinks the shadow might appreciate it. Sometimes, it's a little less tonic in the bottle.

It's a nice group. Darkie likes it here.

\---

_Where..._

Ow.

The- the- who?

...Whoever is in pain. It hurts. It hurts.

They're... It's...

Like fracture lines. Splintered- Glass? All across their body.

Body?

Does it have a body?

Everything is empty. There's one presence nearby, too far to reach but so familiar, and that's the presence it follows.

One day, or maybe one night, there's another presence. Not light like the familiar one, but dark. Like themself.

Themself... who are they?

It's dark, but not in a good way.

The other presence is the only source of power. It can't draw from light. It can draw from dark.

_Hope they don't mind..._

There's... something on top of them. It's light, but promises healing. Odd.

It hasn't dragged themself from the shadows in so long.

It's dark out here, too. Everyone's asleep, including the familiar presence-No. Link.

It's _Link._

Back into one, it seems.

They drink some of the potion, but are forced to stop fast. It heals, but it's too light- too much and the positive effects would be weighed out by negatives.

They'll have to do this in small doses, and if they want to conserve strength...

Back into the dark they go, then.

Shadow finds they don't really mind.

...Wait.

 _Shadow._ So that's their name.

Funny, they'd almost forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> me: ah yes... angst and distrust... nobody will like darkie. it will be an uphill battle! how exciting!  
> also me: sky and darkie do pranks together. warriors gives them smoky eye. darkie adopts four ~~and shadow~~
> 
> it seems this will be at least a three-part series...


End file.
